Page 5 - Trandformation Report 2020/2021.indd

Introduction

Many firms took a financial beating these last two years, which has understandably
influenced appointments and promotions as firms have had to prioritise the
immediate need of keeping their doors open over strategic needs such as
new hires and promotions. As expected, the pandemic has impacted firm
transformation goals as firms were forced to reprioritise planned BEE expenditure,
particularly in the latter part of the pandemic when cash reserves have all but
been depleted. Add to this university lockdowns and delayed graduations, the
negative effect on the appointment of new candidate legal practitioners at
law firms has been tremendous, peaking in 2021 and extending even into 2022.

Despite these challenges to the legal industry, the contributions of our member
firms to transformation over the preceding two years, have on the whole
managed to eschew the trend with member firms demonstrating an impressive
commitment to transformation despite their own pandemic challenges.

I believe the Group’s long-held commitment to transformation
has ensured that transformation is seen not only as an economic
commitment susceptible to a firm’s financial position, but is
embraced as a social imperative able to weather the onslaught
of events like the pandemic.

It is this imperative that enabled member firms to not just throw in the towel, but
adapt and find new and possibly even more effective ways to continue the
forward momentum of transformation in the Group.

GROUP TRANSFORMATION REPORT 2020 / 2021 PAGE 5